Between Sun and Shadow | Part 10
It's been awhile... here's part 10 of my WIP book!
Part 1 for if you’re just getting in on the series: https://www.chess.com/blog/AvaR1008/between-sun-and-shadow-part-1
NOTE: on the teen's shopping list, theres 2 items that I made up (excluding the Mitzi's order). Which two are they? Comment your answer & get a shoutout in part 11!
The town square of the sweet little town that Ablecroft lived in was cheerful and eccentric – in Maya's opinion, anyways. Silas called it "chaotic" and "disorderly". Everything was painted brightly–even the cobblestone streets were painted alternating shades of orange and yellow. All the storefronts were various cheerful pinks, reds, greens, blues, teals, and every other color imaginable to the human soul. Maya took in her surroundings with increasing curiosity, each shop more intriguing than the next. Silas stiffly walked next to her, glaring straight ahead with no interest in the surrounding activities and buildings. Maya smelled an assortment of candies, potions, herbs, and food mingling together in the crisp autumn air. Maya dug the list Ablecroft gave to her out of her jacket pocket, smoothing out the wrinkles in the lined notebook paper.
“Goldenrod root, dragonfruit extract, powdered bumbleberry leaves, ginseng root, gotu kola powder, a case of empty crystal glass diamond premium potion bottles, and sneezewort. Oh, and the order at Mitzi's Shoppe. Easy.”
Silas ignored her.
”Can you at least say something?”
”Something.”
”You’re insufferable.”
They continued on in silence, the silence hanging heavy between them. Maya felt like the chatter of the town around them dissipated, and suddenly she was no longer walking in the town. She was walking down a hallway made entirely of black obsidian, so dark it seemed to swallow the little light that was offered by the magic blue flame torches lining either side of the hall. She approached the end of the hall, two giant, dark doors looming before her. Runes were carved into the black-painted wood. She tried deciphering them, but they seemed beyond her interpretation...
"Do you usually daydream while walking in a busy town?"
Maya blinked. She was just... no. She wasn't in a obsidian hallway. There were no blue torches. It was just a stupid daydream. The same dream she had every night. The runes meant nothing. There were no doors. She was walking down the sidewalk in the sunny and colorful town.
She glanced at Silas, and found he was looking at her with one eyebrow raised, clearly expecting an answer. Maya coughed. "Um, no. I wasn't daydreaming."
Silas rolled his eyes. "You were literally staring into the void and you almost walked into a candy cart."
Maya looked away to hide the blush that was creeping across her face, suddenly very interested in her bootlaces. Oh wait, her left one was almost untied. She should fix it. Later.
Silas pointed to a dark green shop that was sandwiched between a café and a bookstore. The bold, elegantly lettered sign on the front read "Fijore's Apothecary". "The Master said that they'll have all the herbs and potion bottles."
They turned off the sidewalk, the automatic door swinging open in greeting. Bells jingled cheerily, announcing their arrival. An old man who looked eerily similar to Ablecroft, except a bit leaner, stood up from his crouching position behind the counter. "Welcome! What do you come looking for today?"
Maya slid the list across the counter, suddenly hyper-focused and unaware of her surroundings. The shop seemed to melt away... no. Stay focused.
The man–Fijore, Maya had to assume–took the list and pushed his glasses up his nose. He studied the list for a moment, then nodded. "Ablecroft sent you, I have to assume?"
Maya let Silas deal with Ablecroft while she pursued the shelves. The shop had entirely open shelving, made of pine wood slabs secured by means that were not visible. The whole place smelled like a muddle of herbs, pine, and parchment. Maya reached up for a glass jar and pulled it down from the shelf. The neatly hand-lettered tag tied around the neck of the jar read "AMEYTHEST CRYSTAL POWDER". It was a gorgeous purple color, and it shimmered in the dim store lighting. It was familiar... nope. Not going down that rabbit hole of memories. Besides, she could hear Silas and Fijore finishing up business. She slid the jar back onto the shelf, turning back towards the counter. When she walked up, Fijore slid a medium-sized bag towards her. "Theres all the herbs, I'll go grab the bottles."
He shuffled to the back, dissapearing through a door that said "STAFF ONLY". Silas sighed, looking around. "Why'd I agree to going with you?"
Maya glared up at him. "Would you have rather have had Fletcher?"
Silas shrugged. "Yes, actually. He doesn't argue back."
"I've barely even spoken to you."
"You're arguing right now."
"You started the conversation."
"Whatever."
Taiji sighed, studying the clouds. How long does it take to prepare a lesson? The Botany Master, Lucinda Marabel Kriëg, was a short, plump woman with short brown hair and small black eyes–and she definitely cared more for her plants than her new mock-apprentices. She’d left the three of them–Zara, Iris and Taiji–out on her giant concrete patio (Taiji compared it to an entire city block. Zara said it was only fifty feet long and thirty feet wide.) to go and arrange their first lesson. Taiji was starting to wonder if their first lesson was actually “patience”, and if this whole wait was some sort of test.
“Ugh. We’re partnering with your team?”
Taiji sat upright from where he was lounged on an outdoor sofa, twisting around to look over the back of it at the newcomers.
Oh.
It was the group from Wanderer.
Taiji recognized Emilia and Jayden–they’d gotten grouped together for a science project before. He vaguely remembered the third girl–the one who had spoken–from school gossip. She’d been nicknamed the “nature girl” because of her inherited powers to control the earth. It was a rare power these days, generally confined to a single family line now, but she’d somehow ended up with it.
Her shiny chestnut-colored hair was pulled back into a braid, and curtain bangs cut across her forehead. He remembered her specifically because of her eyes–they were such a bright green that they practically glowed in the sunlight. He couldn’t remember her name… was it Jessica? Jane? Jeremy? No, that was a boys name. It was something with a J, though.
Taiji blinked. “I’m not partnering with anyone’s team as far as I know.”
The girl sneered. “Yes, you are. I guess Lady Lucinda was too neglectful to mention it?” She scoffed. “Who picked the Masters, anyways? I guess they do just fine at their jobs, but they seem to have little interest in us from what I’ve seen.”
Taiji felt an urge to defend the Masters. He don’t know why exactly; it was probably just to disagree with the stubborn girl. But a too-cheerful voice interrupted the conversation.
”Junie! Emy! Jay!”
Leave it to Zara to treat everyone like her best friend.
Zara practically tackled Emilia in a hug, but spared the other two. “Lucinda told me we were partnering with a team. I kinda wish it was Maya’s but you’re next best!”
Uh, no thank you. Taiji did not want to deal with that grumpy emo wizard of a boy that Maya was on a team with.
Junie glared. “It’s Juniper. Or don’t say my name at all.”
Taiji crossed his arms, scowling. “Why wasn’t I told we were partnering?”
Iris, silent as ever and practically hiding behind a potted palm tree, suddenly snorted. “You were. In your sleep.”
Taiji fixed her with a glare. “I wasn’t asleep. At all. At any point.”
Zara unhelpfully chimed in. “Yes you were.”
Juniper waved her hands. “Who cares? We’re partnering. There’s that. Now where’s your master?”
”We already lost ours an hour ago.” Emilia muttered.
Taiji flopped back down onto the sofa. He was not dealing with life today.
Hey, that cloud kinda looked like a cat.
Elsewhere…
Two glowing red eyes pierced the suffocating darkness of the cave, guiding the small, winged creatures that came crashing through the ivy that concealed the entrance.
”Master! Master! We’ve got eyes on the girl.”
The low hum that came from the ten-foot-tall beast vibrated the walls of the cave. “Excellent. Where is she?”
One creature landed on a bit of rock that jutted out of the cavern wall, panting from a long flight. “Where the Great Alchemist resides. She’ll be there for another two and a half days yet, and then return to that wretched Academy.”
“Very well. Everything goes as planned, I assume?”
The second creature squeaked. “Indeed, Master. They have no idea there is an imposter among them. Soon, we will strike.”
”Yes.” Came the deep reply from the ten-foot-tall monstrosity. “As soon as the moon turns pearly and round… it will be time. The shadow line will fall… and I will be the new commander of the darkness.”
END PART 10
Juniper: @Withered-Violet-Shadow
Taiji: @GoDofUnIvErSeS
Creepy guy at the end that I’m not naming for story purposes: @benman_wins
Make an OC: https://www.chess.com/blog/AvaR1008/part-2-of-between-sun-and-shadows-coming-soon-make-a-character-now
Comment a 🍿 for part 11!
